


Rumor

by sourdades



Category: Produce 101 (TV), UNIQ (Band), UP10TION, X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Seungyoun and Jinhyuk are roommate, Seungyoun and Weishin are bff, it's supposed to be slow burn but meh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 13:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20310514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourdades/pseuds/sourdades
Summary: While dating best friend had always been a tempting idea, Seungyoun had watched way too many friendships broken down because their friends dated each other. He lost way too many friends as the aftermath of messy break ups that didn’t even involve him. So when rumor had it that Wooseok liked him back, he did something he never thought he was good at: avoiding Wooseok.





	Rumor

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't beta-read this work, so apologies for the grammatical and typing errors.

“Why are you stalking Kim Wooseok? I’ve told you countless time, you won’t stand a chance against the tall senior from architecture. You know, the tall one with black hair and tattoo on his wrist.”

“Cho Seungyoun?”

“Yeah, that one. It’s like, a top rumor on his department right now. Lots of people got their hearts broken because of it.”

“Where do you even got that?”

“Someone confessed to him, which Wooseok obviously rejected. Then that someone asked whether is it because of Cho Seungyoun and Wooseok just left. So rumor has it that Wooseok actually likes Cho Seungyoun.”

Seungyoun was standing in line for his usual caffeine intake in a café not far from their library when he heard the two people in front of him, _most likely freshmen_, gossiping about him and Wooseok. He pretended he didn’t care, playing with his phone as the two people kept on talking about his relationship with the said man, how they were good friends and inseparable and how they would never stand a chance to took Wooseok out.

The thing was, Seungyoun was not happy with the rumor despite his longtime pining toward the younger male.

If he was a normal person, he would definitely happy upon hearing rumor saying the man he had been crushing on actually liked him back. But Seungyoun was no regular person and Wooseok was just not someone he had crush on. Wooseok was his best friend and Seungyoun didn’t want his feelings to get reciprocated.

People said you should date your best friend, because that way you would get lover who could actually be both of your lover and your best companion. Someone who already got the rhythm of you. However, Seungyoun thought that it was total bullshit. He had enough of people dating their best friends which end up ruining their friendships. He remembered his high school time, when he had group of four and Jamie, his super mega good friend, dated one of them, ended up with four of them not talking anymore after graduating to Jamie being cheated on. So when he graduated, he got his high-school diploma and a broken friendship.

During college, things weren’t as pretty. He, Wooseok, and Jinhyuk got in the middle of Seungwoo and Byungchan’s relationship. It wasn’t simple, Wooseok was basically Seungwoo’s right ear while Jinhyuk is Byungchan’s. And of course, Seungyoun was being in the middle of everything, having to listen both of their rants from the beginning of their relationship to the end of it, which Seungyoun could swore as the messiest break up in history. No one would admit it, but it was the reason why their friendship was now down to three: Wooseok, Jinhyuk, and him. And if Seungyoun was being honest, he really couldn’t bear losing neither Wooseok or Jinhyuk.

Seungyoun first met Wooseok during freshmen, when both often stuck waiting for same bus each weekend to go their parents’ house. But between them, it was just casual banter between two freshmen who was too bored to wait for the bus to come. Nevertheless, Seungyoun had crush on the charming Wooseok from literature, one that brought different book on his hand on the bus stop and excitedly told him about it as they waited. So when Jinhyuk, Seungyoun’s roommate in dormitory, introduced Wooseok as his best friend since high school, it felt like Seungyoun had lost all the chance to be with the smaller man as they both gradually become inseparable best friends along with Jinhyuk and the rest.

“Two cups of large iced caffe latte, but please make one of them with less ice.”

Wooseok was there, his gaze is focused on the laptop in front of him as his lunch got neglected beside the said laptop. It was such a habit for him to be working on the cafeteria when it wasn’t lunch hour, because he could both eat his food and work on his assignments. Moreover, cafeteria was always empty and quiet when it wasn’t the time for lunch. Seungyoun tapped his shoulder lightly, shocking the smaller male as he took a seat beside him. “My usual because Americano will sting your stomach.”

“Thank you.” He smiles, and Seungyoun could hear the strangers’ voice in coffee shop ringing inside his mind. _Rumor has it that Wooseok likes Cho Seungyoun._ “Where is Jinhyuk, anyway? It’s rare to see both of you not being a package deal as you have most of your classes together.” 

“Group meeting or something. He even said that he would stay the night.”

The brunette just nodded, typing few sentences on his laptop before closing it a bit, turning his gaze on Seungyoun. “Do you think I can come over tonight, then? My room no longer inspire me to review another Shakespeare.”

Seungyoun gulped. It wasn’t the first time Wooseok stayed over when Jinhyuk was not around and he used to be fine by it. But Wooseok staying the night means he’d be curled up on either his bed or occupying his desk, as he rambles about the paper he was working on. Then, Wooseok staying the night meant they would close the day by watching some crappy movie in Netflix which eventually lead to talking about their life. And knowing Wooseok, he would definitely talk about the rumor mill that was going crazy in literature department.

The chance was two, it’s either Wooseok said it was only rumor and he didn’t actually harboring any feeling toward Seungyoun, or he said that it was true end he ended up confessing. Seungyoun didn’t know which one he’d rather have, probably the first one. Him saying that it was only a rumor would mean Seungyoun seriously had to move on. But Wooseok saying that he was indeed liking him? He didn’t think he had the heart to reject the smaller of the two and lie to both him and himself.

“Seungyoun, hello?”

“Oh.” Seungyoun got snapped into the reality. “Hm, I don’t think I’d be around tonight as well. Um, Kookheon said he needs me to master some audio or something for his youtube project. Not sure if I’d be back before the midnight. Sorry.”

First step of avoiding the topic, avoid to be in same room as Wooseok in general.

Seungyoun never thought that he was good at this, but he made pretty okay attempt to avoid Wooseok for solid two weeks. They still talked via kakaotalk, Seungyoun not wanting the latter to felt as if he was indeed avoiding him. But he clearly made it hard for Wooseok to meet him, telling him that he was rushing on deadline and often stayed in the architecture studio. The deadline part wasn’t feud, anyway.

But being a trio in which two of them were friends for years was hard, Seungyoun concluded. He definitely could not avoid Jinhyuk judging the two of them still share same dormitory room. And him being Jinhyuk, he already could sense something was off with Seungyoun and Wooseok.

“You are avoiding Wooseok.” Seungyoun’s eyes look up, turning his attention away from the model he had been working on for hours in his laptop. “You always hated staying in studio and and do your works in the room because Wooseok likes to stay over. You never be in studio unless it’s few days before deadline and you work extremely fast, but I think we both know that you are progressing slowly because you need reasons to be in studio.”

Seungyoun couldn’t even argue against his friend. “I was just stuck this time, could not get the building the way I want them to be because they are tricky.”

But Jinhyuk was smarter than he thought. It didn’t take him even one minute to grin at the younger. “You like Wooseok,” he concluded, “and it’s about the rumor in between our two department, isn’t it?”

“It isn’t that easy.” He decided that there was no point in hiding from Jinhyuk because the elder already knew about it anyway. “I don’t want to hear the truth of the rumor because I don’t want to react to it. I don’t know which outcome would I like the best and I would not know what to say when he brings it up. I am just... you know, trying to make myself ready?”

Jinhyuk nodded. “You are afraid that the rumor is right, you are afraif that he likes you more than the other option, I know you.”

“Both you and Wooseok, you are the only two closest to family that I have in this damned university.”

“More reason to not avoid the talk, Cho Seungyoun.”

Seungyoun sighed. His perspective was hard to understand, he admitted that. “Seungwoo and Byungchan.”

A loud “oh” could be heard from Jinhyuk’s mouth the moment their two friends mentioned to the conversation. “You are afraid you will break our friendship if both of you don’t work out,” he stated, there wasn’t even a single question in his tone, “you are afraid to lose me, to lose us.”

“I’ve watched too many people go because they date each other. I don’t want to lose you and Wooseok. I’ve vowed myself that much.”

Jinhyuk nodded, standing up as he tapped Seungyoun’s shoulder lightly, forcing the latter to look up. “If anything, you are the only I trust to take care of Wooseok. I know you that much, how you put people before yourself and how you give your all to the one that you love. I know you, Seungyoun, and I’d be at peace if I know both of my best friends are in good hands.”

“But—“

“Don’t but me, you don’t know unless you’ve talked and you try it. Even if you fail, I swear that I’d be here. You will never lose me, Seungyoun, you mean as much as Wooseok to me—in very platonic way—and I will not let that break us easily.”

The speech was enough to made Seungyoun look down, avoiding Jinhyuk’s gaze. “Do you think I should talk to Wooseok?”

“Take your time, Buddy. Take your time. Wooseok won’t run away.”

Jinhyuk’s definition of “take your time” happened to only be two days. Seungyoun stayed the night in the studio again the night before, trying to finished his minature that was due next week. He was about to open the door to his dorm, hands full with cartons and things, when he found out that the door was unlocked. “Jinhyuk, I swear to god, I’ve told you countless time to lock—“

There was no Jinhyuk.

But there was a sleeping Wooseok, stirred in his sleep on Jinhyuk’s bed. He looked at his phone, it’s Thursday. Wooseok tended to stayed the night during Wednesday because he had important class in Thursday and wanted to review in best condition. Seungyoun didn’t have the heart to woke him up, so he just skipped quitely to his side of the room, trying to place all his belongings to the right place before jogging to the mini kitchen-cabinet to get himself some warm drinks.

“Seungyoun?”

He looked at the bed again, Wooseok was awake. His hair was messy and it was clear that he couldn’t see Seungyoun clearly as he didn’t wear his specs. Seungyoun lifted his mug, inviting him to join him. “Tea? I think I have your favorite somewhere around the cabinet.”

Wooseok nodded, making quick visit to the bathroom before joining Seungyoun, opening a pack of black tea. “You spend your time in studio a lot. I barely see you these days, not even during lunch. Have you beek alright?”

The sadness and concern in his words made Seungyoun bit his lips, nodding his head as he tried to assure Wooseok that everything is okay. “I am good.”

“But the rumor, it isn’t good, huh?”

_Wooseok knew. _

“I was trying to get to you so I can explain about it. But you are never there. You don’t look like you avoid me, but I know you do.”

At this rate, Seungyoun knew there was no turning back and there was no point in hiding everything. “I am afraid of what will you say to me. So please, tell me the truth in it.” _Because I can’t bear to avoid you any longer._

“I really like you. And no, not platonically. The like when I really want to kiss you and take you on dates. It’s not a rumor, it’s a fact.” Wooseok was nervous, his gaze never left the the mug as he really tried to avoid Seungyoun. “I don’t want to burden you with my feelings, so please don’t mind it. Just let us be friends, a regular friends like we used to.”

Seungyoun flinched at his words. Then he shifted from his position, his arms wrapped around Wooseok’s waist as he hugged him from the side, chin resting on Wooseok’s shoulder. “I am more afraid that you really like me back,” he confessed, “because then, I have no room to hide about how I feel without lying to you and to myself. Because I’ve been attached to you ever since we were just two freshmen in bus stop to Cheongdamdong and I am too much of a coward to take a risk because I don’t want to lose you.”

“Seungwoo and Byungchan.”

He nodded. “I don’t want to lose you and Jinhyuk the same way I lose Seungwoo and Byungchan. I’ve watched too many people go, that I promise myself I won’t be involved with my best friend. I am afraid to lose you, especially you.” Seungyoun could feel Wooseok got relaxed under his embrace, and he felt thankful.

“I am also afraid of losing you,” Wooseok added, his fingers moved to Seungyoun’s. “I really thought I lose you the moment the rumor going around.”

Seungyoun chuckled, tightening his grip around Wooseok’s waist. “So I heard that you like me in a way you want to kiss me and take me out for dates,” he repeated, grinning cheekily though Wooseok could not see it. “I don’t usually kiss on my first date, but would you like to go out with me and we’ll see whether we kiss on your doorstep?”

Wooseok turned to his side, huge smile painted on the smaller’s face as he pokes Seungyoun’s cheeks. “I’d love that very much.” 


End file.
